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Senior 'B' Hurling To Come Into Force in 2018

Thursday, 24 November 2016

AT the November meeting of the Offaly GAA County Board, a proposal to bring in a senior 'B' hurling championship was comfortably voted in. As result there will be four teams relegated from the 12 team 2017 senior hurling championship while the four semi finalists in the Intermediate grade will be promoted. These eight teams will make up the senior 'B' championship for 2018 leaving the Senior 'A', Senior 'B' and Intermediate championships all with eight teams. Before clubs voted to bring it in, St Rynagh's Gerry Quirke proposed an amendment to the proposal but that couldn't be took on the night. The St Rynagh's amendment was to have a 16 team senior hurling championship in 2018 with the top eight teams in the 2017 championship making up group one and the bottom four in the 2017 senior hurling championship and the top four in the 2017 Intermediate hurling championship making up group two. The thinking behind this proposal was that although Group two would effectively be the same teams that would make up the Senior 'B' championship, this way they would be in a group around their own level but still have a chance to compete for the Sean Robbins cup. The proposal would see the top six teams in group one qualify for the quarter finals with the top two in group two joining them with the top four in group one the seeded quarter finalists. While it couldn't be considered last Tuesday night, Chairman Padraig Boland did tell the meeting that this could be brought forward this time next year as an amendment to the Senior 'B' proposal. Clara delegate Brian Gavin believed that the senior 'B' coming into fruition would be very competitive and good for Offaly hurling. On the night it was also voted to return the Senior 'A', Senior 'B' and Intermediate football championships to one group of eight rather than the two groups of four that was in play in 2016.